Podcast appearances and mentions of mike bradley

We are pleased to share this Special Edition with Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Jay has led NAM since 2011 and first joined the organization in 2005 as Executive Vice President. As the leading voice for U.S. manufacturers, NAM sits at the center of policy, economic, and workforce issues shaping American industry today. The NAM team is currently in Houston as part of its State of Manufacturing Tour, traveling across New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas, and Arizona, to spotlight the policies and conditions needed for the U.S. to compete and win in a global economy. We were thrilled to host Jay and hear his perspective on domestic manufacturing, the evolving regulatory and trade landscape, supply chain resilience, energy policy, and the future of U.S. competitiveness in an increasingly complex global environment. In our conversation, Jay outlines what he's hearing from manufacturers on NAM's State of Manufacturing Tour, starting with energy. Manufacturers consume roughly 30% of U.S. energy, and Jay emphasizes why affordable, reliable supply and delivery infrastructure are foundational to competitiveness. We discuss tax policy and why Jay views the 2017 reforms as “rocket fuel” for manufacturing investment, hiring, and wage growth, along with the importance of durable, codified provisions that give companies the certainty to deploy long-cycle capital. We cover the workforce gap (~433,000 open manufacturing jobs today and a projected 2 million by 2033), digging into what's working on the ground, from community college partnerships to the modern return of shop class and continuous upskilling. Jay makes the case for bipartisan, skills-oriented immigration reform to support economic growth. We explore permitting and legal reform, where he emphasizes that manufacturing thrives on certainty and calls for a coordinated federal process that delivers faster “yes or no” decisions with guardrails to prevent endless litigation. On trade, we touch on tariff uncertainty, the importance of renewing and strengthening USMCA (particularly addressing transshipment), and the strategic value of North American supply chains, especially given the sizeable percent of manufacturers' customers reside outside U.S. borders. We discuss AI and supply chain realities, why Jay sees AI as additive and a multiplier for productivity, and how even running at full capacity, the U.S. can only produce about 84% of what it needs today, driving NAM's proposal for a “speed pass” to import critical inputs duty-free as domestic capacity scales. We also examine the broader manufacturing multiplier effect, the U.S.-China competitive dynamic, and why policy stability ultimately determines whether the U.S. can compete and win. It was a wide-ranging and insightful discussion and we're grateful to Jay and his team for carving out time to stop by during a busy tour. For further reading, NAM's AI & Energy Dominance Roadmap is linked here. Mike Bradley kicked off the show with a quick update, noting that broader equity markets were down modestly on the day as all eyes were focused on NVIDIA's quarterly results. NVIDIA surpassed expectations and delivered solid forward guidance, but the stock was underperforming given that investors are growing wary it can sustain this explosive revenue growth beyond the next couple of years. Thank you to Leslie Beyer for connecting us with Jay and his team. And thanks to you all for your support and friendship!

Today we had the very exciting and interesting opportunity to visit with Dr. Fiona Murray, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Co-Director of the Innovation Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Fiona is an internationally recognized policy expert on innovation ecosystems and the transformation of investments in science and technology into deep-tech startup ventures that address global challenges. In addition to her roles at MIT, where she previously served as an Associate Dean for Innovation, she is Chair of the NATO Innovation Fund and an Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. She was awarded a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to innovation and entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom. Fiona also serves on the UK Ministry of Defence Innovation Advisory Panel and the European Innovation Council Joint Expert Group and sits on a number of boards. We were thrilled to host Fiona to explore global markets, innovation ecosystems, and the shifting geopolitical landscape shaping technology and capital flows. In our conversation, Fiona shares her perspective on the intersection of geopolitics and innovation and how geopolitical shocks increasingly shape technology development and commercialization. She outlines the post-2016 shift toward framing priority technologies through the lens of national and economic security, and the growing geopolitical constraints facing entrepreneurs. Drawing on discussions at the Munich Security Conference, Fiona highlights Europe's strong talent base alongside structural constraints, including smaller venture capital pools, fragmented markets, pension fund limitations, and bureaucratic procurement processes. We explore how defense and security startups think about U.S. versus European capital and transatlantic expansion, the growing importance of dual-use investment, and resilience as a business case. Fiona explains NATO's two-pronged innovation strategy and emphasizes the need for a “resilience premium” to support domestic and allied production. We discuss China's competitive innovation model, industrial policy lessons for the West, and the need to scale critical technologies to reduce supply chain dependence and rebuild manufacturing capacity across allied markets. Fiona also shares her perspective at MIT, where students are increasingly prioritizing defense, security, and resilience, alongside energy and climate reframed through critical minerals and system resilience, with AI integration across disciplines. We cover AI's role in lowering experimentation costs through simulation, large-company AI execution pitfalls, drone and autonomy lessons from Ukraine, and how to avoid overspending on AI. We close by asking where she sees innovation over the next decade, which she describes as “innovation at the extremes,” including fusion energy, Arctic navigation and mining, space commercialization, and other frontier environments. It was a fascinating discussion and we greatly appreciate Fiona for sharing her valuable time and insights. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that this week is centered on Tuesday's State of the Union address and the policy implications that follow. On the bond market front, the 10-year remains steady, with traders' attention turning to Friday's PPI report. On the crude oil market front, WTI is trading at ~$66/bbl as markets weigh the potential for a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal versus whether the U.S. follows through on its threat of limited military strikes. WTI price could fall to low-$60/bbl if a nuclear deal is reached or rise to $70/bbl on escalation. The DJIA and S&P 500 are both up marginally since the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's global tariffs last Friday. Technology stocks have staged a modest rebound after several weeks of underperformance. Energy has outperformed over the past week but has underperformed since last Friday's tariff announcement. E&Ps will dominate

In recognition of NAPE week in Houston, we are delighted to welcome back David Bat, President of Kimberlite Research, to explore the latest OFS activity, trends, and technologies. David brings more than 30 years of experience spanning upstream, power, and oilfield research. Prior to joining Kimberlite in 2015, he served as VP and General Manager of Constellation New Energy, President of Welling & Company, and President of Stream-Flo USA. He began his career as a geologist with Chevron. Kimberlite is an international oilfield research firm that draws on insights from more than 20,000 hours of annual interviews with industry professionals to analyze market trends and benchmark performance for oilfield equipment and service providers. We were excited to hear David's perspective and latest insights. In our conversation, we cover Kimberlite's research model, the data it captures from operators, and how the firm uses AI as an enabling tool. David shares Kimberlite's 2026 operator sentiment and activity outlook and highlights regional hot spots for expansion (including Latin America, the Middle East, Norway, and West Africa) and discusses key technologies improving recovery and efficiency, as well as the runway for further gains. We compare international versus North American market structure, noting that the “Big Four” hold roughly 80% share across much of the international/offshore oilfield services market, while North America is highly fragmented with many specialty providers. We touch on the Permian as a global incubator for innovation, the Haynesville as a proving ground for high-temperature tools, David's longer-term outlook for the Lower 48 Tier 1 runway, operator-to-operator differences in service outcomes, and supplier performance dispersion and benchmarking, with performance and fit varying by basin. We explore upstream digital transformation strategies, why domain expertise matters for applying AI, hydraulic fracturing digital dynamics, and where digital value is expected to emerge, especially in production optimization. We also cover why consolidation is viewed as desperately needed in oilfield services yet hard to execute, Canada's market dynamics, and the strong demand for qualified personnel and quality equipment in international and offshore markets. David shares his exploration outlook, potential drivers of improved recoveries, newer tech players, and Kimberlite's Net Promoter Score (NPS) work, which he says correlates strongly with future financial performance and competitive strength; fewer than 10% of the OFS companies Kimberlite tracks exhibit truly distinguishing, scalable, "elite" customer-focused characteristics. A few select slides from David's presentation are linked here. It was a wide-ranging discussion and we're grateful to David for sharing his expertise with us all. Mike Bradley kicked off the discussion by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield appears to have stabilized in the 4.0% to 4.10% range after plunging last week on a cooler-than-expected January CPI report. In crude markets, WTI price has been stuck over the last several weeks between $60-$65/bbl and inched a little lower to start this week (~$62/bbl) following reports that Iran and the U.S. have a “general agreement” on the basis for a potential nuclear deal, which could eventually lead to an ease in Iranian sanctions. An agreement in the next couple of weeks could lead to an additional pullback in oil prices if the oil market narrative shifts away from a modest “war premium” towards the IEA's 2026 global “oil glut” (~3.7mmbpd) narrative. On the natural gas front, he highlighted that the recent Arctic-driven winter premium for prompt gas price (~$3.00/MMBtu) and 12-month strip (~$3.50/MMBtu) have been completely u

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley gives his opinion on not being able to use Strong Mayor Powers on police budgets.

Today we had the exciting opportunity to host Bill Anderson, Senior Managing Director at Evercore and Global Head of the firm's Activism/Raid Defense team and Strategic M&A Advisory practice. Bill is a pioneer in activism defense and has advised more than 500 companies facing activists or strategic raids, including many of the largest proxy fights and defense situations of the past two decades. Prior to joining Evercore in 2016, Bill spent more than 15 years at Goldman Sachs as an M&A partner and leader of its defense team. Earlier in his career, he was an M&A attorney at Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett, clerked on the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, worked as a CPA at Coopers & Lybrand, and served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. It was our pleasure to hear Bill's perspectives on the latest M&A activity, activism and hostile preparedness, board composition and alignment, and the evolving dynamics between companies, shareholders, and capital markets. In our conversation, we explore Bill's career path from classic M&A work into defense and special committees as markets changed, and how activism became a major driver of M&A. Bill shares his top takeaways from 2025 activity, noting the wide range of deal types and attributing the acceleration in deal flow to greater antitrust optimism, liquid financing, and strong buyer stock performance. We discuss why activism has become a core risk-management issue for public companies, how activists can build positions via derivatives and broker-dealer exposure with limited disclosure (and why 13F filings can be an important early-warning signal), and how shareholder bases have evolved with index funds now a dominant ownership block alongside the continued influence of ISS and Glass Lewis. We cover the difficulty of mobilizing retail votes and related regulatory/state-law considerations, the deal approval environment under Trump versus Biden (including CFIUS as a wildcard), why companies are more careful describing synergies, the impact of universal proxy, and the importance of diversity, tenure, and sector expertise in board refreshment. We touch on the drivers of positive acquirer stock reactions, how companies communicate value at deal announcement, activist dynamics in M&A and when activism becomes contentious, the importance of board alignment and cohesion, increased spin-off activity, and much more. We ended by asking Bill for his thoughts on how companies can attract long-only capital. Throughout the discussion, we reference several elements of Evercore's “2025 Year in Review Report.” It was a fascinating discussion and we appreciate Bill for sharing his time and insights. Mike Bradley kicked us off by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield plunged this week following an unexpectedly soft December Retail Sales report. Bond volatility could remain elevated with January CPI set for release on Friday. On the crude oil market front, WTI price appears to have temporarily settled into a $60-$65/bbl trading range, given there have been no major new geopolitical surprises over the past week. In natural gas, prompt natural gas price has completely roundtripped since the Arctic blast started and is now trading back at ~$3.15/MMBtu. U.S. gas storage is back near normal levels (around the 5-year average) and winter weather from here through the end of withdrawal season will determine how constructive the setup is for summer gas price. On the broader equity market front, the DJIA has been one of the real winners this past week (up ~2.5-3.0%), especially versus the S&P 500 (up ~0.5%). Cyclical sectors (Energy, Industrials, and Materials) continue to be the market leaders, while Tech/Telecom continue to lag. In energy equities, most large-caps (Oil Majors, Oil Services, and Refiners) have already reported Q4 results, and the next few weeks will be dominated by E&Ps reporting. E&P commentary will likely be do

We were honored this week to welcome Ali Moshiri, CEO and President of Amos Global Energy, for a Special Edition COBT focused on Venezuela. Ali is the former President of Chevron Africa-Latin America and spent nearly 40 years at Chevron. He joined the company in 1978 as a petroleum engineer and went on to hold a wide range of senior technical, strategic, and leadership roles, ultimately overseeing Chevron's upstream operations across Africa and Latin America, including key positions in Venezuela and the broader region. Since retiring from Chevron in 2017, Ali has served as an advisor to Chevron and is currently President and CEO of Amos Global Energy, a Houston-based upstream independent focused on building a diversified portfolio across Latin America (with selective investments in the U.S. and Africa) through an integrated direct investment model. With deep operational, geopolitical, and strategic experience across global energy markets, Ali brings a unique and long-term perspective to today's discussion. In our conversation, Ali describes the on-the-ground conditions based on frequent travel to Venezuela and argues there is widespread misunderstanding of the country driven by years of narrative focus on migration, crime, and deportation rather than fundamentals. He details Venezuela's fundamentals including resource size and accessibility, proximity to the U.S., and the historical role of Gulf Coast heavy-oil refinery conversions and the light/heavy differential in making Venezuela barrels attractive. We discuss where development is likely to concentrate, the production ramp and capital needs, why in his mind the clearest lever for Venezuelan recovery is increasing oil output, workforce and execution constraints, the role of service companies, and who is most likely to invest first. Ali notes the key to mobilizing capital is a credible public-private partnership structure that can be written into a term sheet, alongside securing a lead private investor. He explains China's presence as largely commercial and loan driven, and Russia's as more geopolitical, and he doesn't expect either to materially expand or compete for incremental assets. We explore why prioritizing stability through a managed transition (including Venezuela's Vice President, and now Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez's role) is essential to convert investor interest into commitment, and he frames the recent vote more as a referendum than a fully competitive election, with a later phase needed for a truly democratic process. We touch on OPEC's incentives to keep Venezuela “inside the tent,” where near-term investment should concentrate, why midstream is less attractive today, the longer-term upside in gas and LNG, and much more. We ended by asking Ali for his ten-year outlook on global oil demand and the sources of future supply. As mentioned, details about Venezuela's reform of the Organic Law on Hydrocarbons are linked here. We greatly appreciate Ali for sharing his candid insights into a complex situation. The Veriten team shared a few quick comments to kick off the show. Mike Bradley flagged two themes: commodities volatility has dominated the year so far, with oil and gas prices swinging sharply due to geopolitical issues, while metals and Bitcoin have hit highs and then pulled back. He also noted that during recent Q4 earnings calls, oil majors and early-reporting service companies have faced many questions about Venezuela, but few have clear answers, making the discussion with Ali very timely. Arjun Murti added that global oil demand continues to grow, and while U.S. shale should hold a long-term plateau, it's unlikely to repeat its outsized contribution to global supply growth, raising the question of what comes after shale. He pointed to Venezuela's long-term potential, recalling the suc

Today we were delighted to welcome Jim Murchie, Co-Founder, Co-Portfolio Manager, and CEO of Energy Income Partners (EIP). Prior to co-founding EIP, Jim's career in power and electricity included establishing Lawhill Capital, serving as a Managing Director at Tiger Management focused primarily on energy, commodities, and related equities, and working as a Principal at Sanford C. Bernstein, where he was a top-ranked energy analyst. He began his career at British Petroleum and holds an MA in Energy Planning from Harvard University. We were thrilled to connect with Jim for an insightful discussion on the power landscape. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, starting with how EIP navigates macro and market volatility by focusing on regulated monopolies and pipelines with stable, cost-plus earnings, Jim's career path and research philosophy, and how EIP's focus on utilities and pipelines emerged from investor demand for real assets and dividends. Jim provides a history lesson on power markets and how deregulated wholesale markets evolved, Enron-era manipulation, and the early-2000s gas plant buildout that ultimately led to overcapacity and merchant distress. We dig into the three-bucket framework for customer bills (generation, transmission, and distribution/other) and why the public debate often overemphasizes generation, while the biggest driver of residential bill increases has been distribution/other costs (bucket three). Jim explains that the third bucket on power bills often acts as a catch-all for costs that are neither generation nor transmission, even when they aren't distribution in the literal last-mile sense, and that greater billing and policy transparency can clarify what's exogenous versus what's controllable. He describes how the impact of data centers can differ between vertically integrated cost-plus states and deregulated commodity-market states, and unpacks behind-the-meter realities, including how hyperscalers often prefer a grid connection for reliability but still deploy backup generation. We discuss the administration's push for hyperscalers to sign long-term contracts to enable new generation build, policymakers' heightened focus on avoiding blackouts, and why this is often a peaking problem more than a supply problem. Jim emphasizes how incentives, rather than intent, drive investment behavior in regulated versus deregulated markets, challenges the narrative that data centers are inherently driving higher power prices, and highlights the economic value of reliability investments and peak-load management in shaping long-term system costs. It was a wide-ranging discussion, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue with Jim in a future episode. As you will hear, we reference a few items in the discussion. Please find the links below: Energy Income Partners Report: “Power Struggle I – How False Political Narratives Cloud the Drivers of Higher Residential Electricity Prices” (linked here)Energy Income Partners Report: “Power Struggle II – How Market Structure Affects Wholesale Power Price Increases” (linked here)Veriten's COBT episode featuring Thomas Popik, Foundation for Resilient Societies (linked here)Mike Bradley opened the discussion by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield looks to be the least volatile asset class at this juncture, with the 10-year bond yield trading very rangebound (around 4.25%). The dominant market theme this week, and for much of the year, has been extreme volatility across commodities (Bitcoin, Energy, and Metals). On the crude oil market front, WTI price is trading at ~$63/bbl, with volatility elevated over t

Eh, Yo! This week we dive into Sparks Pinball Museum with the owner Mike Bradley. Sparks Pinball Museum is a large arcade in Troy, Michigan that has a huge selection of pinballs, retro arcade games, rare arcade games, and old entertainment machines. Sparks Pinball Museum is a place you need to check out if you like pinball and are in the Detroit area. There are a few Sparks Pinball locations, we got to check out the location in the Oakland Mall which has the Sparks Pinball Museum & Arcade and Sparks Passport. Mike tells us about how he got into the arcade collection hobby, how he collected with his dad, how he started routing games, and his experience with pinball tournaments. If you want to play some great pinballs and some uncommon arcade games Sparks Pinball Museum is a great place to visit.If you ever find yourself in Troy Michigan, stop by and let them know Indie Arcade Wave sent you.If you like what we are doing here at Indie Arcade Wave don't forget to like, share, and subscribe. It means the world to us and will help the wave grow, so we can ride it together.If you are looking to buy new or used Stern pinballs, Food Fight Frenzy, Ice Cold Beer Remakes, Claw Machines, or Indie Arcade Games email me at Indiearcadewave@gmail.com.Indie Arcade WavePinballs: https://compulsivepinball.com/Website: https://www.indiearcadewave.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/IndieArcadeWaveTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@indiearcadewaveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/indiearcadewave/Twitter: https://twitter.com/indiearcadewaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/6GntJQN Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6dFWBTnIroJdBla3hi9SAK Bitchute: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/RckLgQBWwOAS/ Odyssey: https://odysee.com/@IndieArcadeWave:5Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2032648Sparks Pinball MuseumWebsite: https://sparkspinballmuseum.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SparksPinball/#Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkspinballTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sparkspinball

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Mike Laufer, Co-Founder and CEO of Kairos Power, for a robust nuclear-focused discussion. Kairos recently marked its nine-year anniversary and has grown to 500+ employees across its headquarters in Alameda, CA, its manufacturing development campus in Albuquerque, NM, and its Hermes Demonstration Reactor Campus in Oak Ridge, TN. Kairos is developing its fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (KP-FHR), which pairs TRISO pebble fuel with a low-pressure molten-salt coolant (“Flibe”) and is designed for modular deployment, including a two-reactor/one-turbine configuration delivering up to ~150 MWe. The company's Oak Ridge program includes Hermes 1, the first non-water-cooled reactor to receive an NRC construction permit, and Hermes 2, a commercial-scale demonstration plant intended to supply electricity to the grid. Mike earned his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. His research included work in reactor safety, design, licensing, and code validation for advanced non-light water reactors. We were thrilled to visit with Mike. In our conversation, Mike shares the early vision behind Kairos, the company's focus on U.S. electricity markets and building a reactor that can compete on cost, and their strategy centered on iterative hardware demonstrations and vertical integration. We discuss system-level parallelization, developing upstream/downstream “balance-of-plant” elements alongside reactor work to compress timelines and de-risk full-system integration, NRC engagement dating back to 2018, safety case fundamentals, sizing and product configuration, and how the Google partnership supports a sequence of deployments toward ~500 MW by 2035 (Google announcement linked here). Mike offers a realistic view of the nuclear learning curve and what it takes to drive down cost and schedule uncertainty over successive projects, how Kairos structured the Google deployment pathway, and the importance of setting achievable targets. We touch on how SMR winners and losers will be determined by project execution and delivery, not announcements, and Mike highlights common pitfalls in the conventional U.S. nuclear project model, including fragmented roles and misaligned incentives. We discuss Kairos's centralized “hub” model with clear decision-making authority, its approach to validating partners and execution steps at smaller scale before taking on multi-billion-dollar FOAK risk, and how the organization maintains efficiency by balancing multiple deliverables and hiring “wildly competent” people comfortable with ambiguity. We also cover how commodity inflation and supply-chain depth affect planning, Kairos's focus on strategic supplier partnerships, particularly in steel, concrete, and precast concrete, the importance of public trust and earning long-term community support, how non-nuclear test systems build real operating capability and flexible operating models, how AI may eventually improve execution and reliability, and much more. We're very grateful to Mike for sharing his time and expertise with us. Mike Bradley kicked off the show by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield appears to have temporarily stabilized around 4.2% and is awaiting Wednesday's FOMC rate decision. Most expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged, though volatility could ensue if they don't! On the crude oil front, WTI price has inched up to $62/bbl amid continued bearishness in financial contract length and recent severe winter weather. There's speculation that this Polar Vortex (which we've dubbed the “Polar Pig”) has reduced U.S. oil production by ~1.5mmbpd. On the natural gas front, the Polar Pig has spiked prompt U.S. natural gas price to ~$6/MM

It was an honor to welcome David MacNaughton, Strategic Advisor at CIBC and former Canadian Ambassador to the United States. David joined CIBC earlier in January (press release linked here) and will provide insights to senior business leaders across public policy, regulatory developments, global trade, and stakeholder relations. David served as Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. from 2016 to 2019, a pivotal period that included the renegotiation of NAFTA. Earlier in his career, David served as Chairman of StrategyCorp and as a Senior Advisor to CIBC Capital Markets, and he previously served as President of Palantir Canada. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and political strategist, having founded and built multiple public affairs and advisory firms. We were thrilled to host David ahead of CIBC's Annual Institutional Investor Conference taking place this week in Whistler and to hear his perspective on the evolving dynamics shaping the U.S.-Canada relationship. In our conversation, we discuss David's experience spanning business and government, the highly dynamic geopolitical environment, the need for renewed public-private collaboration, and why politics feel increasingly interventionist today, with populist pressure pushing governments toward protectionism and isolationism. We explore the implications of AI-driven white-collar job disruption, why businesses must treat geopolitics and public policy as core risk drivers, Canada's role in AI innovation and adoption, and how Canada is rebalancing its resource economy amid global energy and trade shifts. David shares his perspective on Canada's prior reluctance to embrace LNG exports and its renewed push to be an “energy superpower,” how to interpret volatility from the Trump Administration, and how tariffs have strained, but not broken, the U.S.-Canada relationship, highlighting the importance of the integrated North American energy system and the need for Canada to diversify markets. We discuss how David's Strategic Advisor role will help clients think about using government support appropriately, his cautious optimism on recent geopolitical shifts, and why maintaining dialogue among allies matters, as misinterpretation and retreating into corners can quickly spiral into escalation. It was a broad-based discussion and we're thankful to David for sharing his time and unique insights. Mike Bradley opened the show by noting that the 10-year U.S. bond yield had spiked to ~4.3% amid concerns that Europeans could sell U.S. Treasuries in response to President Trump's Greenland overtures, as well as growing questions about what a spike in Japanese bond yields might mean for global bond yields. Consensus appears firmly in the camp that the Fed will not cut interest rates at the January 28 FOMC meeting. In the broader equity market, the S&P 500 was down modestly (~0.5%) over the last week, with cyclical sectors (Energy and Industrials) leading and Financials lagging. In energy commodities, WTI price appears to have stabilized at ~$60/bbl. U.S. natural gas price recently spiked ~$0.80/MMBtu (to ~$4.00/MMBtu) due to an Arctic blast forecast in the weeks ahead. On the energy news front, Q4 earnings season begins this week with Halliburton and SLB reporting. Discussion on those calls is likely to be dominated by 1H26 international oil spending trends. Mike also noted Mitsubishi Corp's $5.2 billion deal to acquire Aethon Energy, and his expectation for many more deals across the energy value chain in 2026. He ended by highlighting that President Trump, along with a handful of Northeast governors, are asking PJM Interconnection to hold an emergency energy auction that would allow Big Tech companies to bid on 15-year contracts to supply ~$15 billion of new power plants. IPP equities were the most negatively impacted by this proposal late last week.

Mike Bradley interviews Stephen Decatur Football's Jake Coleman on his decision to step down as Head Coach.

Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Motorcycle Group Unit 30, from VFW Post 7108 in Helotes, make a run Dec. 20 to Floresville to deliver Christmas socks to residents of the Frank M. Tejeda Texas State Veterans Home. Making the delivery are (l-r) Janelle Neal, Walter Neal, Jo Ann Meinert, Brian Bonnett, Scott Baker, Mike Bradley, Julie Baker, and Carlos Gutierrez. Activities Director Maxine Allen (front) was on hand to accept the donated footwear.Article Link

We are thrilled to share this Special Edition COBT as our final episode of 2025. Like many of you, we have been closely watching the escalating situation in Venezuela, and we had the honor of hosting former Attorney General Bill Barr to hear his unique perspectives. Bill served twice as Attorney General, first under President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993 and again under President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2020. He is the author of “One Damn Thing After Another” and has held senior roles at Kirkland & Ellis and Verizon. He earned his law degree from George Washington University and studied Government and Chinese Studies at Columbia. Bill is currently a Partner at Torridon Group. It was our pleasure to visit with Bill and hear his insights on the latest developments in Venezuela. In our conversation, we explore the current Venezuela crisis and U.S. military buildup, why Bill welcomes the Trump Administration's response, and why he sees Venezuela as both a national security threat and humanitarian crisis. Bill outlines narco-terrorism versus traditional organized crime, how cartels use drugs as a weapon against the U.S., and why he views Venezuela as a strategic adversary with deep ties to Russia, China, Cuba, Iran, and Hezbollah. He explains why domestic-style law enforcement doesn't work inside hostile foreign territory and walks through the long-standing U.S. doctrine of acting when foreign states are “unable or unwilling” to deal with threats to the U.S. in their territory. We discuss lessons from U.S. action in Panama, stopping short in Iraq after Gulf War I, what “if you break it, you own it” means for Venezuela, why Venezuela is the focus now, versus Mexico and others, the role of Russia and China in Venezuela, and how renewed enforcement pressure on sanctioned tankers and oil flows can further squeeze the regime. We cover the effectiveness and limits of sanctions and the emerging quasi-blockade, how the President should think about escalation from a legal and constitutional perspective, Maduro's options and potential off-ramps, the case for swift, decisive action, how failed regimes drive refugee crises that put pressure on U.S. borders, the potential collateral benefits for Venezuela and the broader region if things go well, and much more. As always, we appreciate hearing Bill's perspectives. It was a fascinating conversation. Mike Bradley kicked us off by noting that Thursday's November CPI report printed much lower than expected, which lifted bonds and equities. On the electricity market front, he highlighted that the PJM Capacity Auction for 2027-2028 resulted in a record price ($333 per megawatt day). The more concerning takeaway, however, was that PJM did not obtain enough capacity to meet future reliability requirements. In energy news, Mike noted that Meg O'Neill, current CEO of Woodside Energy, has accepted the CEO role at BP PLC. On the oil market front, he observed that WTI price appears to have temporarily stabilized in the $56-$57/bbl range. Oil markets continue to be overly concerned with a “perceived” oil supply price glut in 2026, and at the current WTI strip price (mid-$50s/bbl), 2026 E&P budgets will be negatively impacted when they report in the coming months. He wrapped by walking through Venezuela's past/present oil production (under both the Chávez and Maduro administrations) and the severe economic damage that's been inflicted under the Maduro presidency. Arjun Murti built on Mike's comments and reflected on Venezuela's oil industry in the 1990s, when international oil companies partnered with PDVSA to develop the country's vast heavy-oil resources under favorable fiscal terms and strong technical collaboration. He contrasted that period with the deterioration that followed under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, as contract terms were tightened and assets were eventually nationalized, contributing to the collapse of Venezuela's oil sector and the country's

Today we had the pleasure of welcoming back our good friend Les Csorba, Partner in Charge of the Houston office and a member of the CEO and Board of Directors Practice at Heidrick & Struggles. Les has over 30 years of experience in executive search, leadership consulting, and executive coaching, and he has long been a thoughtful, balanced voice within the energy community. Earlier this fall, he published “Aware: The Power of Seeing Yourself Clearly” (linked here). It's a fascinating exploration of how confronting blind spots, deepening both internal and external self-awareness, and cultivating environments where candid feedback is encouraged can transform leaders and organizations. As always, we appreciate hearing Les's perspective and were thrilled to visit with him. In our conversation, we cover why 2026 will test leaders, with fast-changing macro and geopolitical dynamics putting pressure on executives to lead with clarity, agility, and foresight. We explore how to create cultures where people speak candidly, including giving trusted team members permission to call out blind spots, as well as the difference between chain of command and chain of communication, and the importance of leaders being visible, accessible, and in direct contact with all levels of the organization. Les shares what led him to write “Aware” and the research Heidrick conducted showing that across 75,000 assessments, only ~13% of people demonstrated true self-awareness, inspiring Les to conclude that meaningfully raising that percentage could dramatically enhance organizational performance. We discuss internal versus external awareness, how leaders must treat macro/geopolitical chaos as primary inputs rather than background noise, how AI can boost efficiency but may dull self-awareness, and how to build feedback cultures and measure awareness. Les reflects on the early reception to the book and why self-awareness matters not just for leaders but for teams, boards, and personal relationships, why self-awareness is at historic lows, the importance of hiring and building around weaknesses, and how leaders can optimize and fully leverage their strengths. Les emphasizes the need to get outside of your information bubble, seek diverse perspectives, and cultivate the blend of confidence and humility that characterizes the most effective leaders. We close by discussing what's next for Les, the four forces for energy leaders in 2026 (agility, internal activism, strategic awareness, and foresight vs. forecast), and the most common board weakness, lacking someone who can push back thoughtfully and respectfully. Mike Bradley kicked us off by noting the 10-year bond yield was holding steady (~4.15%) following last week's FOMC meeting. He flagged the dissenting votes for an interest rate cut and suggested the split could foreshadow dynamics under the next Fed Chairman. On the broader equity market front, he observed that markets appear to be losing trading momentum and that 2026 could be a “year of reckoning” for 2025's market leaders (AI/Tech) as investors begin scrutinizing data center spending and associated returns more closely. In the oil market, he highlighted that WTI fell to a four-year low (~$55-bbl) on continued 2026 global oil surplus concerns rather than any specific event. He also noted that at the current 12-month strip ($55/bbl), 2026 upstream budgets, which will be announced in the next 1-2 months, will likely be negatively affected. On the natural gas front, he pointed out that over the past seven trading days, prompt U.S. natural gas price has plunged ~$1.50/MMBtu (to $3.85/MMBtu) due to a warmer short-term winter outlook. On the electricity front, he noted that 2027+ PJM capacity market auction results will be released Wednesday afternoon. Most investors are expecting prices to again hit the ceiling (~$335/mw), which might serve a

Mike Bradley talks with now former Washington HC Alec Meintzer on his decision to step down from the program after leading the Jags to their best season in over two decades.

Today, we were delighted to welcome Neil Chatterjee, Former Commissioner and Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Neil served as FERC Chairman from August –December 2017 and again from October 2018–November 2020. During his tenure, he championed several strategic initiatives, including streamlining the liquified natural gas application review and approval process, and advancing the use of technology to mitigate physical and cyber threats to critical energy infrastructure. Prior to his service at FERC, Neil was an advisor to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and worked for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He currently serves as Chief Government Affairs Officer at Palmetto, a Senior Advisor at KKR, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy, and a Senior Policy Advisor at the Climate Leadership Council, in addition to serving on the Bipartisan Policy Center's Board of Directors. We were honored to host Neil at our offices in Houston for an insightful and engaging discussion. In our conversation, we explore Neil's perspective on the evolving U.S. energy landscape amid surging electricity demand, geopolitical pressure, and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Chatterjee explains the unique structure and independence of FERC, emphasizing that this design has helped the agency maintain policy stability even as presidential administrations swing between dramatically different energy priorities. He argues that energy security has become synonymous with national security and that FERC now sits at the center of balancing reliability, affordability, and decarbonization. The discussion highlights how new pressures from data centers, electrification, and reindustrialization are straining a grid shaped by decades of flat demand and policy drift. Chatterjee also reflects on past regulatory controversies, noting that AI-driven load growth may finally push the country beyond polarized debates about “fossil versus clean energy,” because meeting demand will require every available resource, from gas and coal to solar, storage, nuclear, and distributed generation technologies. Neil dives into the operational, political, and economic complexities of meeting this surge in power demand. Chatterjee outlines the emerging challenge of large-load interconnection is how to quickly connect massive hyperscaler data centers without destabilizing markets or burdening consumers, and praises a recent DOE directive that gives FERC flexibility (linked here), while insisting on quicker pathways to power. He details trade-offs such as hyperscalers funding grid upgrades in exchange for curtailment obligations, growing tension between utility and market-based models, and the need for aggressive permitting reform to build pipelines and transmission. He notes that time-to-power constraints favor near-term solutions such as solar-plus-storage paired with gas peakers, while advanced nuclear and new gas capacity remain years away. Throughout, he stresses the importance of depoliticizing energy policy and “empowering the nerds”— letting engineers, economists, and market designers, not political cycles, guide decisions on reliability, infrastructure, distributed resources, and the evolving relationship between front-of- and behind-the-meter systems. It was a tour de force and we greatly enjoyed the discussion. Mike Bradley kicked off the show by noting that U.S. markets are laser-focused on Wednesday's FOMC rate decision. On the bond market front, the 10-year Treasury yield has risen to approximately 4.17% (up from 4% two weeks ago) amid growing concern that the Fed may not deliver the multiple interest-rate cuts expected in 2026. He added that a 25-basis point rate cut is anticipated at the meeting and that Chairman Powell's press conference, particularly his tone and comments on Fed independence,

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Kruti Lehenbauer, Founder of Analytics TX. Kruti is a longtime statistician and economic consultant who has held leadership roles across analytics, data, and research. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Political Economy and helps organizations audit business data, uncover hidden efficiencies, and navigate strategic planning, AI adoption, and more. She regularly shares thought-provoking insights and translates complex analysis into clear, actionable takeaways. We were delighted to hear her perspectives on interest rates, inflation, tariffs, and more ahead of next week's Fed meeting. In our conversation, we explore the “panic narrative” around the economy and why the past five years may feel worse than what the long-run trends suggest. We discuss the health of the U.S. economy, whether we're truly in a unique moment, how rapid interest rate hikes have worsened the debt picture, and why Kruti believes rates should already be moving back toward ~3%. She shares why the expectation that “everything must rise exponentially” is misguided, invoking Joan Robinson's reminder that “in the long run we are all dead, but not all at once.” We cover what data Kruti thinks the Fed should focus on (employment, GDP, true inflation) versus short-term headlines and political noise, the interplay between aggregate demand and aggregate supply, and why productivity and technology matter most for long-run growth. Kruti also explains how tariffs effectively raise real interest rates, how consumers adapt, and the flaws she sees in how we measure inflation today. We touch on why she believes fears of mass job loss from AI are overblown, the importance of adaptation, and her concerns about declining quality in higher education and its impact on high-skill labor and future productivity. We address fiscal versus monetary policy, why overreliance on the Fed is risky, and long-run structural issues including savings behavior, financial literacy, and long-dated household debt. We also discuss India's role as a rising economic partner and end with the “magic-wand” reforms Kruti would prioritize including leaner government, updated inflation metrics, and policies that expand the economy's productive frontier rather than over-managing it. It was a thought-provoking discussion. Mike Bradley kicked us off by noting that broader equity markets rallied on a rebound in Bitcoin, bond yields have been inching higher, crude oil remains under pressure, U.S. natural gas price continues to surge, and copper prices are hitting all-time highs. The 10-year bond yield inched higher this week to ~4.1%, after trading near 4% last week, on rumors that Kevin Hassett is the front-runner for Federal Reserve Chairman. Bond volatility will likely continue into the December 10th FOMC meeting. The DJIA and S&P 500 were both up on the day but remain flattish to slightly lower for the week, with Technology leading and Energy lagging. On the oil market front, WTI price continues to be under pressure (trading just under $59/bbl) due to continuing concern around an early 2026 global oil surplus (~2-4mmbpd). This bearish oil thesis/trade is very-very-very consensus. OPEC+ convened over the weekend and agreed, as expected, to pause oil output hikes through Q126 and to call for third-party verification of OPEC+ members Maximum Sustainable Capacity for 2027 production baselines. He closed by highlighting that cold weather has finally arrived, spiking prompt U.S. natural gas price to ~$5/MMBtu (while the 12-month strip holds steady at ~$4.15/MMBtu). He noted the remarkable surge in Lower-48 dry gas production, from 108-109bcfpd a month ago to a weekend peak of ~114bcfpd, now settling in at 112-113bcfpd. Jeff Tillery shared a few themes he's watching heading into the next few quarters. In traditional energy, oilfield services stocks are jumping even as oil prices fall, raising the question of whether the market is signali

We are thrilled to share what is now our sixth annual COBT Thanksgiving episode, showcasing and thanking the hardworking people working in energy who make Thanksgiving Day possible. Earlier this year, after hosting Jim Grech, President and CEO of Peabody on COBT (episode linked here), Mike Bradley floated the idea of filming our Thanksgiving episode at the North Antelope Rochelle Mine (NARM). Jim and his team were gracious enough to say yes and made this special visit possible. Our team travelled to NARM in Gillette, Wyoming, and met with the mine's management and safety teams for an in-depth overview of operations before heading out for a tour. Following the tour, Mike Bradley and Maynard sat down with Pat Forkin, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy and Peabody Development, and Clayton Kyle, Production Manager at NARM, for a fantastic discussion. Our conversation with Pat and Clayton covered NARM's operations, scale, and logistics as the largest coal mine in North America, producing ~12% of U.S. coal. We discuss the mine's daily activity, filling 12-13 trains per day each with ~150 cars and ~16,500 tons (>200,000 tons of coal produced per day), as well as coal's role in the U.S. power mix and Peabody's safety-first culture and use of technology onsite. Clayton shares his on-the-ground perspective on Peabody's workforce, the demanding schedules, the team's pride in tough work and long tenure, and the company's 142-year history. We explore Peabody's engagement with multiple federal agencies and the growing opportunity around critical minerals and rare earths. A major highlight was the mine's extensive land reclamation process including backfilling pits, replacing topsoil, restoring hydrology, and returning the land to conditions well beyond minimum requirements through improved soils, carefully designed vegetation, grazing practices, and habitat restoration that often attracts more wildlife post-mining. The whole Peabody team's pride in their work was readily apparent and we truly enjoyed the discussion. We can't thank the Peabody team enough for their hospitality and for the hard work they put in every day. For them, today is simply another workday, and the job still needs to get done. We hope you enjoy this special conversation as much as we did. And for everyone working today at the mine, THANK YOU! Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We are thankful for you!

It is our honor to welcome back Governor Mike Dunleavy of Alaska. We last hosted the Governor on COBT in May of 2023 (episode linked here), and there has been much to cover since our last visit. Governor Dunleavy is Alaska's 12th Governor and was first elected in 2018 (and again in 2022). He moved to Alaska in 1983 and served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent in Arctic communities before his 5-year term as a State Senator from 2013 to 2018. Throughout his career, Governor Dunleavy has been committed to opening Alaska to new business and investment. We were thrilled to host the Governor to explore the latest energy developments in Alaska, what's top of mind for the state, and more. In our conversation, we explore Alaska as an “energy laboratory” given the state's unique mix of energy production, policy, federal lands, abundance of water, technology, and geopolitics. We discuss the impact of shifting federal administrations on Alaska, the scale and federal ownership of its land, and the statehood mandate to develop its resources to fund government operations. We examine the need for legislative reform to address the problems of both “lawfare” and permitting, the growing opportunity around rare earths and critical minerals in Alaska, the benefits of the federal government as an equity partner, mining as a national security issue, post-COVID workforce shifts, and the renewed importance of trade work and skilled labor. Gov. Dunleavy shares his perspective on affordability and energy prices in Alaska, current issues around the need for more gas supply and potential LNG imports, and the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline (AGLNG Glenfarne Project). He outlines his vision for Alaska's future as a premier location for AI data centers and its ambition to be the data transportation capital of the world. We touch on Alaska's desire to “create the future” rather than simply react to it, the role and gatekeeping power of the Army Corps of Engineers in 404 water permits, and Alaska's strategic position as “America's fort” in the Arctic. We also discuss the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, with its fifth iteration taking place in May 2026, which Veriten is excited to attend. We greatly enjoyed hosting Governor Dunleavy and look forward to staying in touch. To start the show, Mike Bradley highlighted that markets continue to be volatile from week to week. On the bond market front, the 10-year bond yield has traded down to under 4% on optimism that Kevin Hassett looks to be the frontrunner for Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Hassett is considered more dovish and so markets are responding positively, at least initially, for the potential of additional interest rate cuts in 2026. On the broader equity market front, the DJIA was also up 500-600 points on optimism that more interest rate cuts are coming in 2026 despite US economic readings being a bit mixed. On the oil market front, WTI price is now trading under $58/bbl due to continued concerns of a global oil oversupply situation in 2026 (anywhere from 2- 4mmbpd) and potentially into 2027. JPM jumped further onto the bearish oil bandwagon this week, indicating that oil prices in 2027 could trade under $40/bbl. He closed by noting that some initial momentum for a Russia/Ukraine peace plan has also weighed on oil prices this week. Thanks again to Governor Dunleavy for sharing his time and for a fantastic discussion. Please stay tuned for a Special Edition COBT episode publishing on Thanksgiving Day! Our best to you all.

Today we had the opportunity to host Jim Bride, President of Energy Tariff Experts (ETE). We became familiar with Jim after reading his report on power generation costs and impacts on electric bills earlier this year (linked here). Jim founded ETE in 2013 to provide expert consulting, data products, and analysis related to retail electricity, natural gas, and water rates. Before founding ETE, Jim served as a Portfolio Manager at EnerNOC and earlier in his career worked as an environmental professional at Tetra Tech EMI, focused on EPA Superfund investigations and brownfield remediation. ETE helps clients navigate the complex world of energy rates by providing actionable data and insights on utility pricing structures to facilitate efficient capital deployment, reduce energy expenses, and enhance the performance of distributed energy resource management systems. We were thrilled to visit with Jim to discuss ETE's report and the power landscape more broadly. In our conversation, we begin by exploring how rising power prices, especially in the PJM market, are gaining political attention. Jim then provides a brief history of the utility sector, tracing the deregulation movement that began in the 1980s and ultimately reshaped the industry into separate components for generation, transmission, and distribution. We discuss how each of these components, along with public-policy charges like renewable mandates or green standards, contribute to PJM customers' bills. Jim describes his team's extensive effort to reconstruct 12 years of utility tariff data to understand which costs have been driving recent increases. Their findings show that while generation costs had broadly fallen for a decade due to cheap shale-driven natural gas and competitive markets, only spiking briefly during the Ukraine-related gas price surge, transmission charges have grown significantly as utilities invest heavily in new and replacement infrastructure under favorable FERC rules. In states like New Jersey and Maryland, public-policy charges tied to decarbonization mandates have also risen meaningfully. The result is that today's higher bills stem mainly from transmission spending and policy add-ons, not from generation itself, though all components interact. The discussion closes with reflections on aging grid assets, rising load from electrification and data centers, and how future planning and policy choices will shape costs going forward. It was a meaty conversation and we greatly appreciate Jim joining us. To start the show, Mike Bradley highlighted that markets over the last week can best be described as “wobbly” due to growing interest rate cut concerns, continued broader market valuation concerns, and AI/Tech equity exhaustion. On the bond market front, the 10-year bond yield has crept up recently to just over 4.1% on concerns that the Fed may not cut interest rates at their December FOMC Meeting. The odds of a December rate cut have fallen from ~75% just a few weeks ago to ~50% today. Over the last month, Bitcoin has plunged from a peak of ~$125k to ~$90k, which also implies there's a bit of a risk-off trade occurring. On the broader equity market front, the S&P 500 is down ~3% over the last week (down ~5% from recent highs) and seems to have lost its long-held trading momentum. Big6 AI/Tech stocks are down ~11% from recent all-time highs and both the S&P 500 and Big6 AI/Tech stocks are nearing technically oversold levels, which hasn't been seen since the April tariff scare. NVIDIA will report its Q3 results after the close on Wednesday, and it will be a huge test to see whether Big AI/Tech equities will continue to be the broader equity market leaders. On the oil market front, the WTI price continues to hold the $60/bbl level, with the biggest overhang continuing to be the size of the 2026 global oil supply surplus. The IEA

In case you missed it or want to hear it again, this is the final OTL Show of the season as Mike Bradley recaps the game from that night and takes a look ahead at the Friday playoff games as well.

Mike Bradley and John Tomey recap the 2nd Round Regional Playoff games for the Bayside Conference teams and take a look ahead at the next round matchups.

Today we had the very exciting opportunity to host Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä. Håkan assumed the role of CEO in February 2021 and most recently served as President of Volvo Buses and a member of the Volvo Group Management. In his career, he has held senior management positions with ABB and Bombardier in power systems, robotics, and industrial automation. He has extensive international experience, having worked and lived in the U.S., Canada, Thailand, Brazil, Switzerland and Sweden. Wärtsilä is a global leader in technologies and solutions for the maritime and energy markets. In its Energy business, they offer flexible engine power plants, integrated energy-storage and optimization technologies, and services for the whole lifecycle of their installations. Its Marine portfolio includes engines, propulsion systems and hybrid technologies, integrated powertrain solutions, plus upgrades and lifecycle solutions for vessels. We were thrilled to hear Håkan's perspectives on the evolving energy, marine, and power landscapes. We covered a lot of territory in our conversation, starting with the decarbonization journey in global shipping, how the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) net-zero-by-2050 framework is reshaping vessel design and fueling strategies, and the growing importance of fuel flexibility and efficiency in an increasingly complex regulatory environment as the IMO's carbon-pricing decision delay risks a patchwork of regional rules across the EU, China, and beyond. Håkan walks us through examples of multi-fuel flexibility, how those choices influence vessel architecture, and how shipowners are adapting to the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime rules, which could roughly double fuel costs by 2030. We discuss Wärtsilä's energy and power business, which provides baseload and balancing power solutions across the U.S. and globally, how data centers are driving off-grid generation, and how Wärtsilä's modular reciprocating engines offer speed-to-market advantages through fast ramp rates, redundancy, and minimal water needs. We explore Wärtsilä's lifecycle service model, the company's global culture and Finnish heritage, their emphasis on innovation, Wärtsilä's Sustainable Technology Hub in Vaasa, where thousands of customers visit each month, and much more. It was a fascinating look at the intersection of shipping, power, and technology, and we can't thank Håkan enough for sharing his time and insights. Mike Bradley opened the discussion by highlighting that this week was full of notable events. The first was the imminent reopening of the U.S. government, which will finally allow for the release of key economic data that could influence the early-December FOMC rate decision and lead to heightened bond market volatility. Next, he discussed the COP 30 Conference currently underway in Brazil, noting its key theme of “getting back on track with Paris levels.” He also pointed out Chevron's Investor Day taking place this Wednesday and shared his takeaways from the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Conference that he attended over the past few days, where two major themes were “affordability” and “speed to market.” Lastly, he noted this week marks the somber 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior, a tragic event in U.S. maritime history. Jeff Tillery also joined and added his thoughts throughout the discussion. We look forward to staying in touch with Håkan and as always, thank you for your support and friendship!

Mike Bradley and Coach Damian Ferragamo talk about Round 1 of the Regional Playoffs, a look ahead at the next round of the matchups and they get pretty candid about some things they have seen this season at the games that bothers them quite a bit.

Mike Bradley analyzes the games, talks to the coaches, gives score updates and looks ahead to the next round of the playoffs for the Bayside Conference teams.

Mike Bradley analyzes the game results, talks with the coaches, looks at rankings and playoffs for Week #9 of the Bayside Conference.

Today we were delighted to welcome Dr. Anas Alhajji, Managing Partner of Energy Outlook Advisors and Author of the Energy Outlook Advisors Substack (linked here). Dr. Alhajji is a leading expert on global energy markets. He advises governments, companies, financial institutions, and investors on oil and gas outlooks, energy geopolitics, energy security, and the impact of disruptive technologies on supply and demand. Anas previously served as Chief Economist at NGP Energy Capital Management and taught economics at the University of Oklahoma, the Colorado School of Mines, and Ohio Northern University. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics, with a specialization in energy economics and policy. We were thrilled to hear his insights on the oil markets and beyond. In our conversation, Anas explains why mainstream oil-market commentary often falls short, how OPEC's role is to match supply and demand, and shares on-the-ground sentiment from ADIPEC including a focus on AI and “energy addition, not transition,” with OPEC's outlook seeing demand rising toward ~123 mmb/d. We discuss structural demand drivers including urbanization, immigration, rising incomes, and AI/data centers plus autonomous vehicles and the equity valuation puzzle amid inventories and spare capacity. Anas details the “oil on the water” debate including why recent headline numbers were overstated and how different factors from Iranian tankers suddenly broadcasting their transponders, Saudi barrels routed to Egypt but for Saudi-owned storage, Brazilian cargoes diverted to China, slower ship speeds, and others all swell oil-at-sea without adding supply. We explore how Aramco and ADNOC are evolving into global energy companies, why Saudi is leaning on renewables and nuclear to free oil for export, what to make of Saudi rigs and capacity, and why demand analysis should prioritize growth rates over absolute levels given definitional differences and the IEA's repeated upward revisions. Anas argues the IEA has persistently underestimated demand (including major multi-year revisions), contrasts IEA growth figures with stronger observed U.S. demand, and notes record U.S. crude without shale growth. We also touch on SPR strategy, why Anas believes the large 2022 release worked, his critique of “circular information” among agencies, banks, and media plus conformity shaping bearish narratives, the limited efficacy of current sanctions regimes, and much more. It was a wide-ranging discussion and we're grateful to Anas for sharing his expertise with us. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that the U.S. Government shutdown has reached Day 35, tying the previous record set during President Trump's first term. In oil markets, WTI continues to hover around $60/bbl and is still being impacted by 2026 global oil supply concerns. OPEC+ agreed to raise December oil production by 137kbpd (consensus) but will pause oil production increments in January, February, and March. On the broader equity market front, the S&P 500 is down ~1% this week and looks to be losing some trading momentum after a huge recent run. Many of the Big6 AI/Tech stocks reported Q3 results last week, which were generally solid with AI capex spending budgets heading higher as expected. Over the last week or so, these same AI/Tech stocks were down 3-5% (on average) due to both growing valuation concerns and sustainability of this AI rally. These Big Tech stocks make up >35% of the S&P 500 market-cap, and if they sneeze, markets could catch a cold. Aramco reported quarterly results this week and struck a pretty constructive tone with one of its key highlights this quarter being an increase in their natural gas production capacity growth target (by 2030) to 80% up from 60%. On the E&P equity front, gassy E&Ps have been pretty constructive but aren't leaning into gas growth just yet, while oily E&Ps are taking a more cau

Mike Bradley, John Tomey and Coach Damian Ferragamo recap Week #9 of games, talk potential playoff matchups and add more entrants to the Hall of Fame.

Today we had the pleasure of hosting Obinna Isiadinso, Global Sector Lead for Data Center Investments at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Obinna leads investment teams on valuation and execution considerations, reviews private equity and credit transaction structures, and participates in transaction negotiations in the Data Center and Cloud sectors in emerging markets globally. He is also the author of the Global Data Center Hub on Substack (linked here). His career spans private equity, infrastructure, and real assets. We were thrilled to host Obinna and learn from him on one of today's most dynamic topics. In our discussion, Obinna outlines the IFC's role as the private financing arm of the World Bank, shares his background in private equity and digital infrastructure, and describes his current global portfolio focus. He explains the IFC's structure and mission to achieve commercial returns while ensuring developmental impact, its ~$100 billion balance sheet, and dual role as a lender and equity investor. We cover the IFC's role in digital infrastructure and data centers, why data centers matter for emerging market development, the IFC's investment approach and capital structure, and Obinna's Substack, which tracks and summarizes global data center activity. We discuss global market sizing (U.S. ~30 GW; Northern Virginia 3–4 GW; Europe FLAP-D ~1-1.5 GW each; South America ~1 GW; Africa ~500 MW, ~250 MW in South Africa; India ~1.2-1.3 GW; China ~3-4 GW; Malaysia ~250 MW with ~1 GW pipeline in 3-5 years), the growth outlook with hyperscalers planning to add 30-50 GW in 3-5 years and roughly ~$400 billion capex this year, cost benchmarks ($10-12 million/MW plus chips), build times, EBITDA economics, current valuation multiples, the evolving fuel mix, and the IFC's sustainability criteria. Obinna summarizes the IFC's market-by-market approach to energy sourcing, rising power demand in emerging markets (and potential competition for scarce power), the IFC's initiatives to expand generation and grid capacity in Africa, and the Middle East's bid to be a ‘Switzerland of AI Infrastructure.' We ended by asking Obinna for key trends he's watching including diversification of AI models, continuous training workloads, and growing private credit participation. It was a fascinating conversation and we can't thank Obinna enough for joining and sharing his insights. We look forward to staying in touch. Mike Bradley noted that this will be a pivotal week for markets, with the FOMC rate decision on Wednesday, a slew of Q3 reports from Big AI/Tech and Energy/Electricity companies throughout this week, and an OPEC+ meeting being held over the weekend. In the bond market, the 10-year bond yield continues to be stuck in the 4% range. The Fed is expected to cut interest rates by 25bps both this week and again in December. On the oil market front, WTI price has slipped back to ~$60/bbl as oil traders seem fixated again on the 2026 oil supply surplus rather than Russian oil sanctions. OPEC+ is expected to raise November oil production by another 137kbpd (similar to October) at this weekend's OPEC+ meeting. At Veriten, we still envision oil markets in 2026 being a “tale of two markets” with 1H26 being challenged and 2H26 being pretty constructive. In global market news, President Javier Milei's party scored a major win in Argentina's legislative elections, sending bond yields lower, the peso modestly higher, and a 20%+ surge in the Argentina stock market. On the broader equity market front, the S&P 500 continues to reach new highs with this week's move mostly due to optimism of a China-U.S. trade deal. A handful of Big AI/Tech names will be reporting this week (AAPL, AMZN, GOOG, META & MSFT) which could increase broader marke

Mike Bradley analyzes the games, talks with the coaches, goes over his power poll, state rankings, playoffs and more.

Mike Bradley, John Tomey and Coach Damian Ferragamo recap Week #7 in the Bayside Conference, talk Power Rankings, Playoff seedings and more!

Mike Bradley recaps Week 7 results in the Bayside Conference, analyzes the teams, talks playoff points, rankings and talks with many of the coaches around the Conference.

Today we had the pleasure of hosting William Clouston, Party Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the United Kingdom. William has served as Party Leader since 2018 and was re-elected in March 2020. He originally joined the SDP in 1982 and spent four years in the Conservative Party, becoming a District Councilor and serving on Tynedale Council. He holds both undergraduate and master's degrees in Urban Planning and Property Management. We became interested in connecting with William after reading the SDP's Energy Abundance paper published in September (linked here). Founded in 1981, the SDP is an economically left leaning and culturally traditional political party. Its flagship “Social Market” economic model views the private and public sectors not as opponents but as complementary parts of the same society. We were delighted to connect with William for an insightful discussion on the UK and Europe's energy policies and beyond. We covered a wide range of topics in our conversation, beginning with the purpose and motivation for writing Energy Abundance, including Britain's current energy crisis, marked by too little power, high costs, and overreliance on imports. William shares the history of the government's role in energy policy and the SDP's argument for a return to government-led energy development, starting with building gas and coal plants. He discusses reactions to the paper, the urgency of rebuilding domestic energy capacity, and the importance of distinguishing cost and value when considering investing $150 billion in grid stabilization and baseload generation. We compare the UK's energy landscape to Germany and the U.S., the risk of further productivity decline if energy issues persist, and public awareness of the energy crisis, which remains politically constrained by cultural and institutional apathy. We explore the SDP's economic and political philosophy, including the party's support for strategic trade protection and tariffs and its cultural traditionalism, emphasizing family as the foundation of society, nation-states, borders, and conventional values. We touch on how energy debates are often constrained by social norms, particularly around net zero, the SDP's 10-year energy plan proposing a state-run, vertically integrated utility, the UK's historical “dash for gas” and current overreliance on renewables, and the party's support for large-scale nuclear, favoring its “brute force” capacity and proven designs. We ended by asking William for his vision of the UK in ten years. We learned a lot and greatly appreciate William for sharing his deep knowledge of British politics, policies, and culture with us all. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that the S&P 500 is up ~2% this week on better than expected quarterly results from the Big US Banks. AI & Electricity mania remain “the” key equity market drivers, which has also pushed the Consumer Discretionary, Technology & Utilities sectors higher this week. On the crude oil market front, WTI has sunk to ~$59/bbl, partly on the Gaza Peace Agreement but mainly due to growing concern with the 2026 global oil supply surplus. Both the IEA and OPEC published their monthly oil outlooks, with the IEA projecting a ~4mmbpd 2026 surplus, which is ridiculously higher than all other estimates. The reason oil prices seem to be moving lower this week (versus previous weeks) is because oil traders are pressing their bearish bets now that crude oil prices have finally broken to the downside. On the energy equity front, one of this week's biggest Energy/Electricity equity movers is Bloom Energy (up ~30%) on news Brookfield struck a $5B strategic partnership with Bloom to be their preferred fuel cell supplier at Brookfield's global AI factories. Q3 Energy results kick off this week with most investors expecting to hear a softening frac story but a scaling up of their power business. Most investors

Mike Bradley and John Tomey take a macro look at the Bayside Conference after Week #6, talk news and notes and look ahead to Week #7 and beyond.

Today we were thrilled to host Julien Dumoulin-Smith, Managing Director of U.S. Power, Utilities, and Clean Energy Research at Jefferies. Julien joined the firm in July 2024 after serving as a Senior Research Analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and as an Executive Director at UBS. He holds an MBA and a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Columbia University. Institutional Investor magazine has ranked Julien as a #1 double-ranked analyst in both Utilities and Alternative/Clean Energy, and he was inducted into the II Hall of Fame for his cumulative accomplishments. It was our pleasure to welcome Julien to our office and hear his thoughtful perspectives on the ever-evolving energy and power landscape. In our discussion, we explore Julien's coverage universe, which he describes as “the full electron and derivatives landscape” spanning utilities, IPPs, renewables, gas plants, industrial adjacencies, and service providers. We discuss the influx of new investors entering power and utilities, Julien's observation that the biggest surprise isn't data center proliferation, but rather how tech companies are paying premiums for power to secure supply, and how utilities once seen as “defensive” are now showing growth characteristics. We touch on the tension between tech companies' need for rapid, large-scale power and their reluctance to become capital-intensive or FERC-regulated, why we're not seeing more long-term offtakes with existing power plants and how state level politics play into it, and how legacy players, new entrants, and regulators are all adapting to a power market being reshaped by AI demand, infrastructure bottlenecks, and novel deal structures. Julien shares that rising inflation across the economy is showing up in utility bills and expresses concern that LNG developers or data centers could be scapegoated for higher gas and power prices. He highlights the parabolic rise in the value of capacity and reliability, the drivers of power inflation including turbine shortages and rising capital costs, whether utilities are properly incentivized to control costs, the role of demand-response mechanisms, and how regulatory and state-level actions are shaping markets. We cover power market scenarios for high and low demand cases, the role of innovation in batteries, fuel cells, and other technologies, and the tension between patching existing systems versus building large-scale infrastructure. We also discuss constraints on ramping renewables, the growing influence of behind-the-meter power, implications for Q3 earnings, and much more. We covered a lot of territory and greatly enjoyed the conversation. To be added to Julien's research distribution list, click here. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that markets continue to be mostly focused on the U.S. Government shutdown. The 10-year bond yield continues to trade sideways at ~4.1% with economic reports on pause until the government reopens. Internationally, Japan's Liberal Democratic Party elected Sanae Takaichi (who is viewed as fiscally expansionary), which some believe increases the risk of an unwind of the long-standing Yen carry trade. The S&P 500 is up roughly 80bps since the government shutdown, with Healthcare and Technology outperforming. He highlighted AMD's chip deal with OpenAI, which added roughly $70B in market cap, and Oracle's pullback on AI cloud margin concerns. On the crude oil market front, WTI price has increased modestly this week due to OPEC+ announcing a smaller than expected ~135kbpd oil production increase for November. While this could widen the 2026 surplus, traders are weighing when and how prices might react amid limited OPEC spare capacity. On the energy equity front, he pointed out FERMI America's strong IPO debut and continued investor enthusiasm for electricity generation. He ended by flagging the upcoming Rockpoint Gas Storage IPO (280bcf in Canada &

Mike Bradley recapped Week #5 Games, analyzed the Conference, covered rankings and talked with many of the Coaches around the Bayside.

Mike Bradley and John Tomey (Coach Ferragamo out this week) recap portions of Week #5 in the Bayside Conference and take a look ahead.

Mike Bradley and Coach Damian Ferragamo (John Tomey out today) recap Week #4, look ahead on the schedule, talk news and notes and more. WiHi Head Coach James 'Matt' McMurdo whose Indians are off to a 4-0 start joins the SMR at the end.

Mike Bradley analyzes the Week 4 results, talks to the coaches and more.

Today we had the exciting opportunity to host Thomas Popik for a power-focused discussion. Thomas is the Chairman and President of the Foundation for Resilient Societies, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening the resilience and recoverability of critical infrastructure. In addition to his volunteer leadership at the Foundation, Thomas serves as a Principal at Geosegment Systems Corporation. He holds an MBA from Harvard and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. The Foundation for Resilient Societies is distinguished by the depth of its scientific, economic, and legal expertise. Several of its directors have held senior policymaking positions in the U.S. Government and now continue their societal contributions through private action. The Foundation has been instrumental in advancing policies and recommendations to better protect the electrical grid and other vital systems from emerging threats. We were thrilled to host Thomas. In our conversation, Thomas outlines the mission of the Foundation and how its nonprofit status strengthens credibility, recruitment, and advocacy. He highlights the rising frequency of outage “near misses” that the public is largely unaware of, the Foundation's engagement with FERC, NERC, and DOE, and how this work has helped shift official recognition of risks, including DOE's recent warning of up to 800 blackout hours per year by 2030. Thomas traces how we arrived at this level of instability, with factors including a net loss of ~1% per year in dispatchable capacity over the past decade, the retirements of coal, older gas, and petroleum-fired plants, and their replacement with wind and solar, which lack dispatchability. He shares market history, from the pre-2000 overbuild that drove up rates, through the 2010s when flat load growth masked declining capacity, to 2024, with excess capacity gone and the grid maxed out. Thomas outlines near-term solutions for grid stability, including halting premature retirements of dispatchable generation, enabling the use of backup generators at critical infrastructure, and improving legal and regulatory mechanisms to prevent retirements and declare emergencies. On the consumer side, we discuss tools such as dynamic pricing to discourage peak-time consumption, shifting habits like EV charging, and aggregating flexible load reductions from schools, homes, and businesses. Thomas also highlights the importance of public messaging to encourage rapid conservation during emergencies and notes longer-term measures including building new dispatchable generation. As mentioned, the DOE Resource Adequacy Report published in July is linked here. We learned a lot from our conversation with Thomas and greatly appreciate him joining us. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that markets seemed to be in “no man's land.” On the bond market front, the 10-year bond yield has risen over the last week, despite the Fed following through with a 25 basis-point interest rate cut and signaling the potential for two more cuts this year. Looking ahead, employment reports, rather than inflation reports, are likely going to be the Fed's main focus. On the broader market front, the S&P 500 continues to hit all-time highs but is beginning to feel like it's in no man's land given that the FOMC meeting is in the rearview mirror and Q3 earnings reports are not on tap for several more weeks. On the crude oil market front, WTI price continues to trade in the low to mid $60s/bbl due to the give/take of Russian oil sanctions/energy infrastructure damage versus concerns of a 2026 global oil surplus keeping a ceiling on oil prices. On the electricity/energy equity front, he highlighted Landbridge Company's strategic partnership with NRG Energy on a potential data center in the Delaware Basin and noted that Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania warned this

Mike Bradley, John Tomey and Coach Ferragamo recap most of Week #3 with analysis, news/notes and a look ahead to Week #4.

Today we were delighted to welcome KR Sridhar, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Bloom Energy. KR's academic background includes a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, a Master's in Nuclear Engineering, and a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. Before founding Bloom, KR served as Director of the Space Technologies Laboratory at the University of Arizona, where he led a NASA project to develop fuel cells capable of producing oxygen for future Mars missions. That breakthrough research ultimately inspired the founding of Bloom Energy in 2001. Bloom went public in 2018 and is a leader in solid oxide fuel cell technology, delivering always-on, on-site power. Its systems convert natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen into electricity without combustion, helping power data centers and hospitals to microgrids and industrial facilities and beyond. We were thrilled to visit with KR to discuss fuel cells, the evolving power landscape, Bloom's progress, and what lies ahead. In our conversation, KR shares reflections on the past 24 years of technology development since founding Bloom in 2001 and his original vision for the company, the shift from the mechanical/industrial age to the digital age, and the opportunity he saw to support rising energy demand driven by economic growth. We discuss Bloom's high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells, the history of the underlying physics stemming from an 1890s patent, product development and commercialization, and KR's reliance on top-tier, seasoned venture investors willing to commit capital and time. We explore the advantages of being in Silicon Valley with access to risk capital and highly skilled engineers, Bloom's strategic choice to focus on natural gas as a commercially viable fuel, and KR's thesis on distributed electricity as a way to provide access, affordability, and sustainability. KR discusses Bloom's fuel cell technology and strategic design choices, highlighting the application of Moore's Law to drive annual cost reductions, and outlines the target market and growth trajectory, focusing on AI data centers and the increasing need for on-site power. He emphasizes the advantages of Bloom's modular on-site power solutions, commercial adoption milestones, and the company's cost-effectiveness compared with traditional turbines and engines. We touch on Bloom technology's scalability from powering a store to a full data center or factory, their supply chain and ability to scale rapidly to meet growing demand, the technology moat between them and any other competitor, and Bloom's relationship with natural gas producers. We had a hard time ending the discussion, but to conclude, we asked KR for his vision for Bloom ten years from now. He shared an inspiring vision for abundant, affordable, accessible, and sustainable electricity. As mentioned, Bloom's recent white paper on fuel cells is linked here. We greatly appreciate KR for sharing his time and unique insights. To kick us off, Mike Bradley noted that all eyes are on Wednesday's FOMC Rate Decision Meeting, with consensus expecting a 25 basis-point interest rate cut and two additional 25 basis-point rate cuts through year-end. He emphasized that Wednesday's rate cut is fully consensus/dialed in and wouldn't be surprised if the week proves to be more of a “buy the rumor, sell the fact.” Furthermore, Chairman Powell's press conference tone will be extremely important in determining how aggressive interest rate cuts could be through year-end. On the broader market front, the S&P 500 has historically risen ~0.5% on average one week following the last three interest rate cuts, so there could be some very-very modest follow through this week. Equity market observers are hopeful that a series of interest rate cuts will allow market breadth to expand beyond AI/Big Tech stocks, which currently comprise ~35% of the S&

The Sunday Morning Roundtable with Mike Bradley, John Tomey and Coach Damian Ferragamo is back. The guy's recap Week#1 of Bayside Conference High School Football and look ahead to Week #2.

It was our honor to welcome His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Chairman of the World Nuclear Association (WNA), along with Dr. Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the WNA. H.E. Al Hammadi has served as CEO since 2008 and has led  ENEC in successfully delivering the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, focusing on the implementation of the highest national regulations and international standards of safety, security, quality, transparency and non-proliferation in civil nuclear energy. Prior to joining ENEC, Al Hammadi was General Manager of the UAE Federal Electricity and Water Authority and has over two decades of experience in the power transmission utility sector. Dr. Bilbao y León became Director General of the WNA in 2020 and has had an extensive career in nuclear, with over 20 years of experience in nuclear engineering and energy policy, serving in industry, academia, and international organizations. We were thrilled to host Al Hammadi and Dr. Bilbao y León ahead of this week's 50th Annual World Nuclear Symposium in London (agenda linked here) and to hear their perspectives on the UAE's nuclear success story and the broader global nuclear energy outlook. In our conversation, we explore the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Power Plant project and its record-setting progress as a global example for new nuclear programs, trends in rising power needs from hyperscalers and opportunities for nuclear energy to provide reliable baseload electricity for data centers and AI infrastructure, and the growing political, public, and financial acceptance of nuclear energy. We discuss the geopolitical and economic impacts of nuclear development, including national energy security, economic diversification, and industrial competitiveness, the UAE's willingness to share expertise in project management, legal frameworks, and contracting models, and the growing interest in nuclear from Southeast Asian nations, Central Asia, and Africa. Dr. Bilbao y León previews the upcoming World Nuclear Symposium, designed as an action-oriented, working conference with key themes including making nuclear projects bankable and advancing financing frameworks, and featuring attendees from governments, investors, hyperscalers, manufacturers, and legal and financial sectors. We cover lessons learned from the UAE's Barakah Plant, including the benefits of building multiple units, standardizing processes, and investing in talent and supply chains, the need for manufacturing capacity, skilled labor, and legal and financial expertise to enable large-scale nuclear deployment, and the advantages of global nuclear partnerships. Al Hammadi shares insights on the evolution of the UAE's nuclear vision, the role of rigorous planning and standardization in driving efficiency gains, the balancing of government and private capital that enabled Barakah's on-time and on-budget delivery, and strategies for applying the UAE's expertise, frameworks, and contracting models to help other regions meet surging energy demand. We also cover the critical importance of rebuilding talent in energy infrastructure, Europe's shift from decarbonization at any cost to balancing affordability and energy security, nuclear as a national security and grid resilience tool, the need for global collaboration to accelerate nuclear deployment, and the importance of advocacy, education, and encouraging nuclear adoption and awareness. It was a fascinating discussion and we want to sincerely thank Al Hammadi and Dr. Bilbao y León for joining us. Mike Bradley opened the show by noting that two weeks ago, markets were trading sideways in “anticipation” of Chairman Powell's Jackson Hole speech and subsequently rallied to previous highs after Chairman Powell surprised markets with a modestly dovish tone. He observed that last week, markets were trading

This week we are delighted to welcome Betty Jiang, Managing Director of U.S. Integrateds and E&P Equity Research at Barclays. Betty joined Barclays in 2023 after leading the U.S. ESG Research team at Credit Suisse and has more than 15 years of equity research experience, with prior roles at UBS, Illuminate Capital Group, and Bank of America. We were thrilled to hear Betty's insights on what's top of mind for investors, key themes from earnings, and a preview of Barclays' upcoming 39th Annual Energy-Power Conference, taking place next week from September 2-4 in New York. In our conversation, Betty shares why she finds energy research compelling and reflects on the interesting timing of her career, beginning in 2007 during the shale boom years. She explains how her experience in ESG and sustainability broadened her analytical skills and highlighted the complexity of the energy transition. We discuss the value of cross-sector research collaboration and Betty outlines key takeaways from Q2 earnings, including significant increases in free cash flow, shale resilience, a long-term bullish gas production outlook, and a market focus on efficiency and free cash flow discipline. We explore the intersection of gas and power demand and how factors like regional grid dynamics and AI are shaping the sector, the continuing need for baseload power, reluctance in adopting low-carbon gas, the importance of strategic positioning and capability for companies seeking exposure in power markets, and gas price and production outlook. Betty provides an insider perspective on how she navigates earnings season, noting how AI and research tools are increasingly shaping how research is consumed and analyzed, while emphasizing that AI cannot replace deep analysis essential for understanding nuance, context, and cross-company trends. We discuss the tension between short-term shareholder expectations and long-term strategic initiatives, emphasizing the importance of a clear “North Star” and consistent communication. Betty notes that energy sector investors vary widely, and while the E&P sector is generally out of favor with generalists, sustained capital discipline, cash returns, and demonstrated resilience are attracting renewed interest. We touch on the challenge of differentiation in energy companies and how thoughtful execution and innovative approaches can create competitive advantages, the key themes for Barclays' upcoming conference with over 170 companies currently registered to attend, how efficiency gains and current free cash flow could influence 2026 outlooks, and more. It was a fantastic discussion and we greatly appreciate Betty for sharing her time and insights. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that last week's COBT theme was investor “anticipation” of the Jackson Hole meeting, while this week it's investor “expectations” around NVIDIA's Q2 results/forward guidance. On the broader equity front, the S&P 500 hit another high last week but traded sideways this week ahead of NVIDIA's Q2 results. NVIDIA expectations are pretty bullish, with most expecting a beat-and-raise quarter, and the only real question at this point is whether NVIDIA's forward outlook will be bullish enough to satisfy investors. At a $4.4 trillion market cap, larger than all but three countries' GDP, NVIDIA's AI commentary and forward guidance will be a market mover. On the crude oil market front, WTI price continues to trade sideways (low-mid $60s) amid continued 2H25 global oil surplus concerns that are being somewhat offset by lack of headway in Russian/Ukrainian peace (leading to possible stiff oil sanctions). On the natural gas front, U.S. natural gas price (prompt & 12mo strip) were trading at ~$2.70/MMBtu & ~$3.50/MMBtu (YTD lows). Investor sentiment is still more bullish for natural gas E&Ps, even though prompt natural gas price has significantly underperformed prompt WTI price this year. Mike also highlighted a

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University. On Monday, we spent the day in Phoenix with Dr. Crow and his team, learning how ASU has been rethinking and reshaping the traditional university model to better reflect today's fast-paced, high-tech world. The changes we saw are significant. Michael and his team are bringing innovation and disruption to a space long associated with tradition and stability. We loved the day and were delighted to have Dr. Crow join us for COBT.Before joining ASU as President in 2002, Dr. Crow served as Executive Vice Provost at Columbia University. His book Designing the New American University (2015) outlines the philosophical ideas he shared with us. At Veriten, we think of ourselves as an energy “knowledge platform,” so it was inspiring to talk with Dr. Crow about how to redesign the world's “knowledge machines”— our universities. As you'll hear in the discussion, ASU today is the nation's largest university, with nearly 180,000 students enrolled across itheir in-person and virtual platforms.Our conversation covered a wide range of issues, opportunities, and new ideas shaping higher education. Since 2002, Dr. Crow and his team have worked to transform ASU's culture and philosophical approach, putting student learning and advancement back at the center of everything. We discuss how technology adoption has played a role, how Arizona shaped the outcome, how ASU expanded beyond state borders, and how the university's unique approach to funding has enabled growth. Most importantly, you'll hear how ASU embraces a customer-centric, partnership-driven mindset that is pushing both direction and outcomes. Many institutions talk about changing the world—at ASU, they are attempting to do so at scale. Through new teaching technologies and methods, they are exporting their approach to other universities as well. In a time when elite institutions are often criticized for stagnation, Dr. Crow's vision is a refreshing reminder of the art of the possible.Turning to markets: Mike Bradley began by noting that the 10-year bond yield (4.3%) remains in a very narrow trading range. Even with last week's hotter-than-expected PPI report, markets still overwhelmingly expect the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points at the September 17th FOMC meeting. He also highlighted that markets will be laser-focused on Chairman Powell's Jackson Hole speech this Friday, a venue often used for key policy announcements on inflation and employment—so expect some volatility later this week and into next. On equities, Mike noted that the S&P 500 hit another all-time high last week but is pulling back this week on a modest (2–3%) decline in the Tech sector. NVIDIA and a few large retailers are the last S&P names left to report Q2 results; after that, markets will likely be more driven by global events than earnings. On crude oil, WTI continues to drift lower (~$62.50/bbl) amid hopes of a Russia–Ukraine peace deal. Finally, Mike highlighted the all-stock merger between Black Hills Corp and Northwestern Energy Group, creating a $15+ billion regulated electric and natural gas utility. We hope you find today's discussion as insightful and engaging as we did. Our best to you all!

We were honored this week to welcome Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Jack Balagia for a Special Edition COBT. Senator Hutchison is a Founding Member of the KBH Energy Center at the University of Texas, with a distinguished career spanning both public and private sectors, from bank executive to U.S. Senator to most recently U.S. Ambassador to NATO. Jack served as Vice President and General Counsel of ExxonMobil for nearly two decades before joining the University of Texas School of Law faculty. He was appointed as Executive Director of the KBH Energy Center in 2024. We were thrilled to visit with Senator Hutchison and Jack about the KBH Energy Center's upcoming Symposium in September and also hear their unique perspectives ahead of Friday's significant meeting between President Trump and President Putin. This year's KBH Energy Center Symposium will focus on the future of energy innovation, investment, and security (agenda details linked here). Taking place Friday, September 12 in Austin, the program will cover global energy outlooks, the growing role of nuclear and AI, energy's ties to national security, data infrastructure demands, capital markets, and media coverage. In our conversation, we explore the geopolitical backdrop of the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska, the hope for a Ukraine ceasefire, and the implications for future negotiations involving President Zelensky and the EU. We discuss shifts in President Trump's stance on Putin since the start of his second term, as well as the Symposium's keynote from ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods, the event's audience profile and impact, and other notable speakers including Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman Rob Kaplan and investor Jim Breyer. We touch on the uniqueness of the Energy Studies Minor Program at the University of Texas (details linked here), the Center's collaboration with more than 30 energy-affiliated organizations on campus, NATO unity under Trump, changing European attitudes on defense burden-sharing with the U.S., and European relief at U.S. military action to deter Iran nuclear weapon capability. Senator Hutchison shares her perspective on how Putin may have overplayed his hand by not striking an early deal with Trump, the potential for stronger measures against Russia, prospects for negotiation, potential outcomes from the Alaska meeting, the symbolism of its location, and more. As you'll hear, the Symposium is nearing capacity but there is still room to attend. Registration details can be found linked here. We are excited about this year's gathering and greatly appreciate Senator Hutchison and Jack for joining us. To start the show, Mike Bradley noted that bond and equity markets were focused on the July PPI report, hoping it would match Tuesday's in-line CPI print and reinforce expectations for an interest rate cut at the September 17th FOMC Meeting. Markets were looking for a PPI print of 0.2%, but instead it came in at 0.9%, the highest monthly reading since July 2022, which pushed the ten-year bond yield up by 5bps (~4.28%). This PPI increase was the first sign since tariffs were implemented that companies were passing through tariff increases and this large PPI print temporarily reduced the odds for a September interest rate cut (especially a 50bp cut) and also looks to have created a short-term headwind for equity markets. On the crude oil market front, WTI price has been drifting lower for the past two weeks, mostly due to global oil supply surplus concerns, which were reinforced this week by bearish 2026 oil macro r

Today we had the pleasure of welcoming Jillene Connors Belopolsky, Chief of Staff and Chief External Affairs Officer at the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), to our Houston studio. Jillene joined the CCA in 2021 and has over a decade of experience in energy sustainability, strategy, and innovation. She previously served as Head of North America for Earth Security Group and in several senior roles at BP, where she developed strategies addressing the environmental and societal impacts of technology, climate change, and carbon management. Established in 2010, the CCA works to enable, influence, and accelerate local transitions to clean cooking solutions globally by supporting governments, unlocking and diversifying funding, strengthening enterprises, and fostering a harmonized, resilient ecosystem. We were thrilled to hear Jillene's insights on this important and often overlooked issue. In our conversation, Jillene shares an overview of the CCA's mission, scope, and focus on energy poverty, as well as her personal journey in becoming interested in working to alleviate energy poverty to enable people to live the best lives of their own choosing. We discuss the importance of energy access for prosperity, the scale of the challenge with 675 million people without electricity and 2.1 billion relying on polluting cooking fuels, and the health, environmental, and economic impacts of lacking clean cooking solutions, as well as why clean cooking is often overlooked despite its broad benefits. Jillene walks us through the CCA's range of solutions including induction stoves, improved biomass stoves, LPG with PAYGO models, ethanol solutions, and domestic biogas systems, alongside financing models and clean cooking performance standards. We explore ecosystem participants, from stove and fuel manufacturers to distributors and technology providers, as well as innovations such as smart metering, fuel ATMs, e-cooking tariffs, and monitored biogas systems. We touch on different LPG delivery methods, why Kenya is a leading example due to its prioritized clean cooking policies and regulatory environment, the $8.5 billion annual funding gap for deploying clean cooking solutions, the capital mix needed, government and international support, and opportunities to harmonize taxes and tariffs, build trade, and scale solutions across East and West Africa. Additionally, we discuss how businesses and individuals can support clean cooking solutions, the importance of a diverse mix of approaches, and clean cooking's immediate, cost-effective benefits for health, environment, and energy access. We cover the necessity of government leadership in creating an enabling environment for clean cooking access and economic development, why a combined government-private sector approach is needed in Africa, the urgent need for private sector involvement to accelerate progress, the strategic opportunity for energy companies to leverage their expertise and resources to support clean cooking initiatives, and much more. It was a thought-provoking discussion and we're very grateful to Jillene for sharing her expertise with us. For additional information on the CCA, their 2024 Annual Report is linked here. Mike Bradley kicked off the show by noting the 10-year bond yield (~4.3%) was unchanged as July CPI reported in-line with expectations. July PPI is due Wednesday, and if it also reports in-line, markets will be anticipating the first of three interest rates cuts for 2025 at the September FOMC Meeting. Initial Jobless Claims, Retail Sales, and Consumer Sentiment reports are all set to report later this week. The S&P 500 rallied ~1% on Tuesday mostly due to the in-line CPI print. Equity markets over the next few months will likely be more driven by economic/world events than equity fundamentals. The path of least resistance still looks up and to the right,

We are back on the road this week for an exciting visit with Emily Morris, CEO and Founder, and Tom Cuthbert, CTO, of Emrgy. Our team traveled to one of Emrgy's hydropower facilities on Colorado's Front Range to see their technology up close and in action before sitting down for a hydropower focused discussion. Emily founded Emrgy in 2014 and brings 15 years of experience in emerging hard tech development. Before launching Emrgy, she managed multi-million dollar federal contracts at AMT, bringing innovative technologies from ideation to commercialization. Tom joined Emrgy in 2020 after serving in several leadership roles at GE, most recently as CTO of Energy Storage for GE Renewable Energy. He has more than 20 years of experience in technology development across the automotive, rail, and energy sectors. Emrgy delivers low-cost power generation through innovative hardware and software that integrates seamlessly into existing water infrastructure. The company enables their customers to monetize previously unrealized energy assets, without anchoring or modifying their infrastructure. We were thrilled to visit with Emily and Tom and see Emrgy's technology in action. In our conversation, we discuss the current state of hydropower, including the regulatory and environmental challenges near federally protected natural waterways and the shift from traditional to modern approaches. Emily shares the origin of Emrgy's technology and its evolution from a defense application to commercial energy. Tom details Emrgy's hydrokinetic turbines, which can be deployed in existing water infrastructure with minimal impact and high adaptability. We explore the vast water infrastructure network and market opportunity, with over two million miles of canals globally, along with recent advances in power electronics and regulations that enable deployment. We explore the environmental and operational advantages of hydropower, the predictable power output made possible by controlled water flows, and applications across rural and urban water infrastructure. We cover Emrgy's dual monetization model (power generation and water conservation), project economics, cost-reduction targets, and speed-to-market advantages. We discuss regulatory pathways, including engagement with the Bureau of Reclamation and local water districts, incentives from the OBBB and other federal programs, and the market opportunity within aging water infrastructure. We also examine the speed of deployment and preference for incremental rollouts, interest from hyperscalers driven by power and water needs, permitting challenges near federally protected waterways, the benefits of co-locating with water infrastructure, and the advantages of innovating as a small company versus large incumbents. We end by taking a look at Emrgy's technology and discussing the rising value of water, hydropower's potential to generate hundreds of megawatts of renewable baseload power, the growing importance of decentralized energy systems near load centers, the long-term outlook, and more. We greatly enjoyed the discussion. Mike Bradley kicked things off by noting that bond markets are trading sideways this week after a tumultuous week last week, which saw a Nonfarm Payrolls report print well below expectations and sent bond yields plummeting (10-year yield trading today at 4.2%). On the broader U.S. equity market front, the S&P 500 seems to be meandering so far this week after last week's Nonfarm Payrolls report pushed it down a couple of percent. While most of the Mag 7 Big Tech companies have reported Q2 results, plenty of S&P 500 companies still have earnings to release. Turning to energy equities, most Oil Service Companies have reported Q2 results, and 2H25 guidance has been adjusted lower, mostly due to rising service cost deflation. This week's energy earnings will be concentrated on E&Ps, Midstream, and Electric Utilities. Mike also highlighted Brookfield's $6 bil

We are excited to share this “on-the-road” COBT episode featuring Tim Latimer, CEO and Co-Founder of Fervo Energy. Our team traveled to Milford, Utah, to tour Fervo's Cape Station project before connecting with Tim for an in-depth conversation. Tim earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa and started his career as a drilling engineer in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins. He co-founded Fervo in 2017 after earning an MBA and an MS in Environment and Resources from Stanford University. Fervo is a developer, owner, and operator of geothermal assets. The company recently raised $206 million to advance the buildout of Project Cape, with phase one expected to deliver 100 MW of power to the grid in 2026. It was our pleasure to visit with Tim about the evolving geothermal landscape. As you'll hear, we were also joined by Kareem El-Sadi, Fervo's Drilling Engineering Manager, who brought valuable insights from the field. Huge thanks to all our new friends at Fervo for their hospitality and patience. We really had a blast. In our conversation, Tim shares the story of Fervo's founding, explains the fundamentals of geothermal, and details what makes Fervo's approach unique using deeper wells, horizontal laterals, and well stimulation. We explore the parallels between geothermal's recent progress and the shale revolution, as well as Cape Station's well specs, project economics and future cost reduction opportunities. We discuss how Fervo has dramatically improved dripping efficiency, cutting well costs from $13 million to ~$4 million by reducing the number of drill bits needed and decreasing total drilling days, the energy world's shift from largely skeptical to increasingly bipartisan and broader support, policy tailwinds, and Fervo's efforts to onshore supply chains amid steel and other tariffs. We cover geothermal versus oil and gas flow rates, design strategies for achieving high flow rates, water use efficiency, long-term production outlook, and overall “life of power plant” issues. We examine expansion plans for Cape Station, the leasing and mineral rights framework in geothermal, power plant design considerations including supply chain dynamics, permitting challenges and NEPA reviews, and project risk and learning curves from location to location. Tim shares his perspective on opportunities for geographic expansion beyond the Western U.S., cost curve and resource economics, commercial strategy and PPAs, near-term priorities for Fervo, geothermal's underrepresentation in no-emissions power conversations, the competitive landscape, whether being a pioneer is an advantage or disadvantage, and much much more. It was a fantastic discussion. Tim references a few items in today's conversation. MIT's paper entitled “The Future of Geothermal Energy” published in 2006 is linked here. Additionally, the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 is linked here. Mike Bradley kicked off the discussion by noting that bond and equity markets are focused on Wednesday's FOMC Rate Decision Meeting. Consensus expects the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged; however, if the Fed were to surprise with a rate cut, broader markets would initially surge before worry set in as to why! Turning to U.S. equities, while markets continue to post new highs, sentiment appears to have shifted toward a “sell the trade deal” mindset. This will be an important week for the Technology sector, broader equity markets, and electricity equities given that Apple, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft are all reporting results and investors are going to be listening closely to their projected AI spending levels. Mike also highlighted a major development in the transportation sector with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern's anno